The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 is one of the most popular budget graphics cards on the market, offering good 1080p gaming performance and cutting-edge ray tracing technology at an affordable price point. But while the RTX 3050 is a solid entry-level GPU, there are several alternatives that deliver better performance, features, and overall value for PC gamers and content creators.
Whether you‘re looking to game at higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K, achieve smoother frame rates, or get improved ray tracing visuals, it‘s worth considering some of the more powerful GPUs available as an upgrade over the RTX 3050. There are great options from both Nvidia‘s GeForce RTX lineup and AMD‘s Radeon RX series.
In this guide, we‘ll break down the top 7 alternatives to the RTX 3050 and help you choose the best graphics card for your needs and budget. Our picks deliver anywhere from 15-150% better gaming performance than the 3050, so you can take your PC to the next level. Let‘s dive in!
1. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti – Best Overall RTX 3050 Alternative
For most gamers, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the best all-around alternative and upgrade pick over the RTX 3050. It delivers a huge jump in performance—around 50-75% faster frame rates than the 3050 in most games at 1080p and 1440p—while remaining reasonably priced.
The RTX 3060 Ti has 4864 CUDA cores compared to the 3050‘s 2560, as well as much faster clock speeds and 8GB of faster GDDR6 memory. This translates to dramatically better gaming performance across the board. You can expect well over 60 FPS at max settings in even the most demanding AAA games at 1440p, making it a great choice for QHD gaming monitors.
It also has 38 RT cores for ray tracing compared to the 3050‘s 20, delivering playable ray traced performance in most games if you enable DLSS upscaling. The 3060 Ti even beats the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X‘s performance.
While the RTX 3060 Ti has an MSRP of $399, it‘s frequently available for as low as $350 now. That‘s about a $100-$150 premium over a typical RTX 3050, for a massive increase in performance. If you can stretch your budget, the 3060 Ti is absolutely worth it over the 3050 and is the best overall value in Nvidia‘s lineup.
2. AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT – Best for 1440p Gaming
If you‘re looking for the best GPU for 1440p gaming at a mid-range price point, AMD‘s Radeon RX 6700 XT is an excellent choice. It delivers performance very similar to the RTX 3060 Ti at a slightly lower typical street price of around $330 – often the same price or even cheaper than most RTX 3050 models.
The RX 6700 XT offers over 50% better gaming performance than the RTX 3050 at 1080p and 1440p. Its 12GB of GDDR6 memory and 2,560 stream processors give it the power to max out all but the most intensive games at QHD resolution. Expect frame rates of 80-100 FPS or higher in most titles.
Where the RX 6700 XT falls a bit short compared to the RTX 3060 Ti is ray tracing performance. While it can do ray tracing, AMD‘s first generation implementation lags behind Nvidia‘s, so you‘ll see a bigger performance hit. But if you don‘t care much about ray tracing, the RX 6700 XT is an amazing GPU for the money.
3. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 – Best for Ray Tracing
For the best ray tracing performance in a reasonably priced package, Nvidia‘s RTX 3070 is your best bet as a step up from the RTX 3050. With a whopping 5,888 CUDA cores, 46 RT cores, and a higher 220W TDP, the RTX 3070 has the horsepower needed to run ray traced games smoothly.
The RTX 3070 can handle ray tracing at 1080p and even 1440p when paired with Nvidia‘s DLSS technology, which uses AI upscaling to improve performance. In non-ray traced games, it offers 70-100% better frame rates than the RTX 3050. This makes it well suited for both high refresh rate 1440p gaming and entry-level 4K.
At an official MSRP of $499, the RTX 3070 is certainly a bigger investment compared to the 3050. However, prices on the 3070 have dropped since the RTX 40-series launch, and you can regularly find models for $450 now. If ray tracing is a priority and you want a big performance upgrade over the 3050, the RTX 3070 is an excellent choice.
4. AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT – Best High-End 4K Alternative
If you want top tier performance for 4K and 1440p gaming and have a generous budget, AMD‘s Radeon RX 6800 XT is one of the best high-end graphics cards you can buy. It offers a colossal performance upgrade of 120-150% over the RTX 3050, and even beats out Nvidia‘s RTX 3080 in many games.
The RX 6800 XT‘s 16GB of GDDR6 memory and 4,608 stream processors provide blistering fast performance at 4K resolution. It‘s capable of 60+ FPS at max settings in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla, and Horizon Zero Dawn. At 1440p, expect frame rates well into the 100-200 FPS range.
While the RX 6800 XT has an MSRP of $649, it‘s frequently on sale for $550-$600 now. That‘s still a major price increase compared to the RTX 3050, but if you want the absolute best 4K and 1440p gaming performance, it‘s well worth the money. Just make sure your PC‘s power supply can handle its beefy 300W power draw.
5. AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT – Best Budget Alternative
For more budget-conscious gamers who want a step up from the RTX 3050‘s performance at a similar price, AMD‘s Radeon RX 6650 XT is your best bet. It offers around 25% faster gaming speeds than the RTX 3050 while often retailing for the same $250-$300 price.
The RX 6650 XT‘s 8GB of GDDR6 memory and 2,048 stream processors give it the power to handle any game at 1080p and most games at 1440p at max settings. It‘s a great match for a 1080p 144Hz monitor or 1440p 60Hz display. You can expect frame rates of 70-100 FPS in most modern titles at high settings.
Like other AMD cards, the RX 6650 XT‘s ray tracing capabilities aren‘t quite on par with Nvidia‘s RTX cards. But with FSR upscaling enabled, it can produce decent ray traced visuals at 1080p in supported games. And if you don‘t care about ray tracing, the RX 6650 XT is unbeatable in its price range.
6. Nvidia RTX 2060 Super – Best Previous Gen Alternative
If you want the benefits of Nvidia‘s RTX features and DLSS upscaling technology without spending too much more than an RTX 3050, consider a previous generation RTX 2060 Super. It‘s about 35-40% faster than the 3050 while costing around $280 now.
The 2060 Super‘s 2,176 CUDA cores, 34 RT cores, and 8GB GDDR6 memory give it great performance for both 1080p and 1440p gaming. It can handle ray tracing fairly well at 1080p when using DLSS, and its raw performance is similar to the newer RTX 3060. Expect 60-90 FPS at max settings in most games.
While the 2060 Super is a few years old now, it still offers excellent performance for the price. Nvidia has also promised to keep supporting it with new driver updates and DLSS optimizations for the foreseeable future. Just make sure to get one with a good cooling solution, as they can run a bit hotter than RTX 30-series GPUs.
7. Intel Arc A770 – Promising New Alternative
Finally, if you‘re willing to be an early adopter of a brand new GPU, Intel‘s Arc A770 is an intriguing option that could shake up the sub-$350 graphics card market. Intel‘s first serious gaming GPU is priced at $329 and aims to compete with the RTX 3060 and RX 6600 XT.
Initial benchmarks show the Arc A770 performing roughly between an RTX 3060 and 3060 Ti in DirectX 12 and Vulkan games, albeit with less consistent frame times. It has dedicated ray tracing hardware and a DLSS-like AI upscaling feature too. While it currently lags behind in DX11 and OpenGL games, Intel is working on rapid driver updates.
If you‘re willing to deal with some early adopter issues, the Arc A770 offers a lot of value as a high-end 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming GPU. Just be aware that you may need to do some tweaking to get the best performance in each game, and a few titles may have compatibility problems at launch.
Making Your Choice – Consider Price, Performance, and Upgradeability
While all of the GPUs we‘ve recommended here offer better performance than the RTX 3050, which one is right for you will depend on your specific needs, budget, and the rest of your PC‘s specs.
If you just want the best overall value and performance upgrade for the money, the RTX 3060 Ti is the clear winner. If you‘re gaming at 1440p and don‘t care much about ray tracing, the RX 6700 XT is a great high-fps option. For 4K, it‘s worth saving up for the much more powerful RX 6800 XT.
On a tighter budget, the RX 6650 XT delivers excellent performance per dollar. And if you want to get the benefits of Nvidia‘s ray tracing and DLSS tech without spending much more than a 3050, the RTX 2060 Super is still a fantastic card.
Before pulling the trigger on a GPU upgrade though, make sure to consider the rest of your system specs. If you‘re still gaming on an older quad-core CPU or have less than 16GB of RAM, you may be better off putting some of your budget toward upgrading those components first. And if your power supply has less than 550-600W of capacity, you may need to upgrade it to handle a higher-end video card.
Ultimately, if you choose any of the graphics cards on this list, you‘ll have a fantastic gaming experience for years to come. While an RTX 3050 is fine for entry-level 1080p gaming, investing in a more powerful alternative will let you enjoy higher resolutions, smoother frame rates, and cutting-edge features.
